BJ’S Decline of Duty

How he might be quizzed over No10’s parties

**** DRAFT COPY **** CONFIDENTIAL - SPEC SCRIPT LINE OF DUTY S7

SCENE 2.2

INT. AN INTERROGATION ROOM, SOMEWHERE IN

CENTRAL LONDON

NEW RECRUIT TO AC-12 DS SUE GRAY (SG) IS INTERROGATING ‘BRIAN JENKINS’ (BJ) CEO OF A LARGE CENTRAL

LONDON-BASED FIRM.

BJ IS DISHEVELLED FROM A WEEK’S INTERROGATION. SG IS

DETERMINED TO CRACK HIM, AND FIND THE TRUTH BEHIND THE PARTY SCENE HE’S BEEN

CAUGHT UP IN.

SG: Let’s go over this again. When did you first realise…

BJ: Well, I was in my office and I was working pretty hard let me tell you.

SG: Economic stuff? Foreign affairs? Pandemic planning? BJ: It was a Sudoku.

SG: Right. And when… BJ: Fiendish one though. Bloody tough.

SG: Yes. That’s fine. Can you tell us a bit more…

BJ: When’s the wine coming?

SG: I’m sorry?

BJ: The wine. When’s the wine coming?

SG: I don’t think you understand what’s going on here. This is a serious meeting. The whole future of your job depends on it. BJ: Sounds like it should probably be a Merlot then.

SG: There’s not going to be any wine.

BJ: Strange kind of meeting without any wine. Anyway, I was working away on my crossword…

SG:

BJ: Whatever, and I became aware of a bit of a commotion outside in the garden. Bit alarming. Sounded like dozens of people. I started to panic.

Sudoku

SG: How so?

BJ: I thought it might have been my kids.

SG: Dozens? BJ: (Indistinct)

SG: For the benefit of the tape, BJ shrugged and started counting on his fingers.

BJ: Anyway, I went downstairs and out into the garden. People everywhere. It looked like a meeting, but then I thought something’s not right here. There’s loads of people, all laughing and dancing. We normally only have a couple of dozen at our meetings.

SG:

When did it dawn on you that this was not a work meeting, that it might have been a party?

BJ: I think when I was on the bouncy castle.

SG: Really. And how…

BJ: I just remember thinking – while we were playing pass the parcel – hang on a minute, this isn’t a work meeting at all – this is a party. This shouldn’t be happening. There are rules in place, everyone is doing their bit, the whole nation is paralysed. This is not right.

SG:

BJ: I knew I couldn’t stop it, so I knew it was important to get back inside.

Straight away. Not just for me. For the good of the country. For the optics. For the reputation of the office.

So what did you do?

SG: So how long did it take you to leave?

BJ: About 25 minutes.

SG: 25 minutes? BJ: Yes.

SG: Why so long?

BJ: There was a magician. (Silence. Tape ends.)